Boot or shoe stretcher



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.) v

L. B. COBB. 130021.1 0R sHoB STRETGHER.

B Willi;

Patented Mar.l 27,1894.

Witnesses:

J@ 62,. @mf/fwd (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

y L. B. COBB. BOOT 011 SHE STRETGHER.

No. 517,210. Patented Mar. 27, 1894.

n l I l Aitor-neg.

mi mmmu. Lmwnmenmq couPAuv. WAinlNmqn. n.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEANDER B. COBB, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BOOT OR SHOE STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATIO forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,210, dated March 27, 1894.

Application filed .Tune 20, 1893. Serial No. 478,219. (No model.)

.To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LEANDER B. COBB, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot or Shoe Stretchers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to boot and shoe stretchers and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement and combination of parts which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the accompanying drawings and to the claims at the end of this specification, in which my invention is clearly pointed out.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a plan of a boot and shoe stretcher embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 isalongitudinalsection of the same on line 1,1, on Fig. 1. Fig. 4, isasectional plan of the side expanders, the reciprocating bar and the pivoted cam bars for operating said expanders, the upper portion of the heel part of the casing and the instep and toe plate being removed. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section on line 2, 2, on Fig. 3, looking toward the heel end of the stretcher. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the heel end of the stretcher with the upper portion of the casing removed. Fig. 7 is a plan of the heel extension bar, detached. Fig. 8 is a plan of the reciprocating bar and lifter toe for raising the instep and toe plate, and the carrier therefor, and Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section on line 3, 3 on Fig. 3.

In the drawings A is the sole or tread portion of the casing, B the upper portion of said casing secured to the sole portion A by means of the cars a a and b b and the screws c c.

C C are the movable side plates and D is the movable instep and toe plate all of which are so constructed, arranged and connected as to form a hollow last adapted to be inserted in a foot or shoe and have portions thereof expanded therein to stretch the same.

The sole or tread portion A of the casing has formed thereon the upwardly projecting plates d oZ in the upper edges of which are formed half bearings for the worm gear shafts e' and e the upper portions of said bearings being formed in the lower edge of the casting E in which are formed bearings for the three vertically arranged worms F, F and F2, said bearings being so formed as to inclose about three fourths of the circumferences of said worms but open or cut awayv upon their inner sides for the passage of the gear Wheelsjif, andfz, so that the .threads of the worms F, F and F2 may engage therewith to revolve them as shown in Figs. 3 and 8.

The casting E is held in position by means of the pins g, g and g2A formed in one piece therewith and fitting into suitable bearings in the casing B as shown in Figs. l and 8. The sole A also has formed thereon the ribs h h and Z which serveto form guides for theA reciprocating bar G, the heel end of which has formed thereon a series of gear teeth j with which the Worm gear wheel f mounted loosely upon the shaft e engages as well as with the worm F. v

The bar G has pivoted thereto the inner ends of the two pairs of links or radius arms H H and H H', the outer ends of one pair of which are pivoted to the movable side plate C and the outer ends of the other pair are pivoted to the movable side plate C', each of said links having formed therein a cam slot 7c with which the fixed pins Z Z or Z Z set in or formed in one piece with the sole A, engage and serve as fulcrums about which said links vibrate while theymove endwise to eX- pand the sides of the last as the bar G is reciprocated. A plate I having its rearor heel end forked rests upon the links H, H, H', and H and is held in place by two of the pins Z and Z which fit into holes fm, in said plate for the purpose. v

The plate l has formed thereon the upwardly projecting ears n n the lower portions of which are extended toward the toe of the last in the form of ribs n 'n' to form a guidewayl for the bar J the heel end of which has formed thereon a series of gear teeth with which the teeth of the worm wheel f2. engages, as well as with the wormy F2, to impart to said bar a reciprocating endwise movement when said worm is oscillated about its axis. The ears n n have pivoted thereto the rear ends of a pair of radius arm o, o, the opposite ends of which are pivoted to the cen- ICO trally arranged plate or ear p projecting downward from the toe end of the instep and toe plate D, as shown in Fig. 3. The rear edge of the ear p is inclined and is acted upon by the beveled forward end of the bar J to raise the toe end of the plate D when the bar J is moved forward by the action thereon of the gear wheel f2 to which motion is imparted by the revolution of the worm F2. The ears n n also have set therein in a fixed position a pin q upon which are loosely mounted the lifter toe r and the segment of a gear s so connected together' and to the teeth of the bar J, that when the lifter-toe fr is in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3 if the bar J be moved toward the toe end of the last the free end of the lifter-toe is moved upward in such a mannerjas to raise the rear end of the plate D at the same time that the toe end is raised by the action of said bar upon the inclined rear edge of the ear p, butif the liftertoe is turned into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and said bar is moved forward only the toe end of said plate will be raised. If however the bar J be moved to the rear from the position shown in Fig. 3, with the lifter-toe in the position indicated by dotted lines the instep end of the plate D will be raised without raising the toe end of the same, by the contact of the lug J with the arm or segment s.

L is a movable section of the heel end of the casing formed in one piece with the two rack bars tt with the teeth of which the teeth of the spur gears u, fu, mounted upon and secured to the shaft e engage to move said bars endwise when it is desired to lengthen or shorten the last.

By turning the worm F in the direction indicated by the arrow 4 on Fig. l the heel section L will be moved outward to lengthen the last and by reversing the motion of the worm F said section will be moved inward.

By turning the worm F in the direction indicated by the arrow 5 on Fig. 1, the side plates C, C', will be moved outward, and by turning said worm in the opposite direction said plates will be moved inward.

The plates C, C', and D, are each provided with a plurality of holes o o and o2 respectively as a means of securing thereto by means of screws or otherwisealump of metal or other material at any desired point thereon for the purpose of giving an extra stretch at a particular point not provided for by the symmetrical shape of the last as constructed.

The upper ends of the worm shafts F F and F2 are squared to receive a wrench for revolving as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, but other forms may be given to the upper ends of said worms as for instance their upper ends may be slotted so that a screw driver may be used to turn them ora soclietmay be formed in their upper ends of any desired shape to receive a key by which said worms may be turned and therefore I do not wish to be limited to the use of the squared end of said worms for turning them.

What 'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. The combination with the fixed portions ot' a hollow last-shaped casing ot a vertically movable toe and instep plate made 1n one piece and provided at its toe end with a downwardly projecting ear having an inclined rear edge; a pair of links pivoted at one end to said ear and at their other ends to a xed portion 0f the apparatus; a reciprocating bar arranged to engage by its forward end with the inclined edge of said ear and provided at its rear end with a series of rack teeth; a vertically arranged worrn having its upper end formed to receive a tool for turning it; and a worm-gear wheel engaging said worin and the teeth of said rack, whereby a revolution of said worm in one direction will cause said bar to engage said inclined edge of said ear and raise the toe end of said instep plate, while its opposite end remains stationary.

2. The combination with the fixed portions of a hollow last-shaped casing of a vertically movable toe and instep plate; a pair of links pivoted at one end to the toe end of said plate and at their other ends to a fixed portion of the apparatus at or near the instep end of said plate; a reciprocating barprovided with rackteeth on its rearportion; a vertically arranged worm having its upper' formed to receive a tool for revolving it; a toothed wheel engaging the teeth upon said bar and operated by said worm; a lifter toe mounted loosely upon a fixed journal; anda toothed arm or segment mounted loosely upon the same journal and arranged to be acted upon by the teeth of said bar and to engage with said lifter-toe to move it about said journal to raise the instep end of said plate.

3. The combination with the fixed portions of a hollow last shaped casing of a vertically movable toe and instep plate; a pair of links pivoted at one end to the toe end of' said plate and at their other ends to a fixed portion of the apparatus at or near the instep end of said plate; a rib or ear projecting downward from the toe end of said plate and havingits rear edge inclined; a reciprocating bar having a series of rack teeth upon its rear portion and having its front end inclined to engage the inclined rear edge of said ear; avertically arranged worin adapted to receive a tool for turning it; a toothed wheel engaging the rack teeth on said bar and acted upon by said worm; the lifter-toe o and the toothed arm or segment s both mounted loosely upon a fixed journal and operated by the endwise movement of said bar whereby a forward movement of said bar will cause said plate to be raised bodily.

4. The combination with the fixed portions ot a hollow last shaped casing ot' the movable heel section L provided with the two rack bars t t; the vertically arranged worm F hav- ICO IZO

ing its upper end formed to receive a tool for turning it; the shaft e; the worm Wheelf secured upon said shaft and engaged by said Worm; and the two spur gear Wheels u, u, secured upon the shaft e and engaging said racks t, t, substantially as shown and described.

5. In combination with the fixed portions of a hollow last-shaped casing, of the two movable side plates C C; the reciprocating bar G having a series of rack teeth formed upon its rear portion; the vertically arranged Worm F; the toothed Wheel j" mounted loosely upon the shaft e and engaging with, and acted upon by said Worm to revolve it and engaging the teeth on said bar Gto move said bar endwise; tWo pairs of radius arms H H and H H pivoted at their outer ends to the side plates C, and C respectively, and at their inner ends to the bar G, and each provided with a cam slot lo and a fixed pin l to engage each of said slots and serve as fulcrums about which said radius arms vibrate to move said side plates as the bar G is recip- ,rocated 6. In a boot and shoe stretcher the combination of the sole plate A provided with the upwardly projecting plates d and d; the shafts e and e; the toothed Wheels 'u u and f firmly secured on said shaft e; the toothed Wheel f loosely mounted upon and revoluble about said shaft e; the toothed Wheel f2 carried by the shaft e; the vertically arranged Worms F F and F2 arranged to engage with and act upon the toothed Wheels ff', and f2 respectively; the casting E forming the cap portions of the bearings for the shafts e and e and having formed therein bearings for the threaded portions of the Worms F F and F2; the movable heel section L; the movable side plates C and the movable toe and instep plate D; and mechanism connecting the toothed wheels u u, with said heel section, the toothed Wheelf with the side plates C, C', and the toothed Wheel f2, with the plate D, whereby the turning of the Worms F, F', or F2, will impart a movement to the heel section L the side plates C, C', or the plate D respectively. f

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specitlcation, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this th day of June, A. D. 1893.

LEANDER B. COBB.

Witnesses:

N. C. LOMBARD, D. E. LITTLE. 

